Board to consider 2013-14 tax rate, additional building fund

PRESTONSBURG — The Floyd County Board of Education will meet this Thursday to consider a new tax rate for the 2013-14 school year which includes revenue toward the counties building fund.

The board will be considering approval of a compensating tax rate for real property and personal property of 52.2 cents for every $100 of assessed value. The compensating tax rate is set by providing the school system with the same amount of money as was generated last year.

Additionally, the board is going to ask for an additional five cents, 5.7 cents for every $100, be assessed to further the counties facilities improvement plant.

According to Floyd County Supt. Henry Webb, the funding is expected to help cover the costs for most of the building projects associated with Floyd County District Facilities plan including: a new high school which will consolidate the students of South Floyd and Allen Central, a new Alternative School, a major renovation to Allen Central High which will become the counties new Area Technology Center, as well as major renovations to Betsy Layne High and Elementary, and Duff Elementary.

“This is strictly for the building fund and bonding potential,” said Webb adding that this addition should generate enough revenue to fund most of the projects.

“This will let us consolidate the two high schools, consolidate McDowell and Osbourne. Get McDowell out of the flood plain,” said Webb. “After last weeks flooding, I hope all this happens, so that we can do this to take care of our kids.”

McDowell Elementary School was flooded last week after torrential rains caused flash flooding around the county. The school was forced to close its doors for two days while staff and volunteers worked to clean the building.

As part of the facilities plan, students at McDowell Elementary and Osbourne Elementary would be redistricted to the South Floyd High School building following the consolidation of the high schools. McDowell and Osbourne are currently listed as transitional schools, and can not receive money from the building fund for improvements to their current sites.

Some of the facilities plans have already been constructed include the renovations to the Prestonsburg Gymnasium, and the turf fields at Prestonsburg and Betsy Layne High Schools.

Webb says that the term “transitional school” simply means that a school has multiple things that are outdated, or need replaced. The current Floyd County alternative and technical schools are also listed as transitional facilities.